Cuddles in a Coat
by quicksilversquared
Summary: In a lot of ways, Adrien Agreste isn't a normal teenage boy. He's a model, he has a bodyguard, he's secretly a superhero... But just like any other teenager, he'll stubbornly refuse to admit when an adult was right. Even if he ends up freezing because of it.


Adrien repressed yet _another_ shiver as a gust of wind blew across the plaza under the Eiffel Tower. Nathalie shot another critical glance his way, but he stubbornly refused to look the least bit cold.

He wasn't going to let her have the satisfaction of being right.

* * *

 _One hour earlier_

"Adrien! We need to get going so we arrive at the runway on time!" Nathalie called through Adrien's door. "Your father will be _very_ displeased if we arrive late!"

"Coming, coming," Adrien called back, hurriedly closing the Ladyblog's write-up on the latest akuma attack. Alya had gotten some _really_ great photos of Ladybug during the last fight, and he had maybe lost track of time a little bit while he gazed at them. Nothing beat the real thing, of course, but since he couldn't hang out with Ladybug 24/7, the Ladyblog was the next best thing. "Plagg, finish your cheese and get in my jacket."

"Is that what you're wearing to the event?" Plagg asked a bit dubiously, even as he finished the last of his cheese with a gulp. He sat back on his haunches, making no effort to move. "Are you sure?"

Adrien glanced down at himself and saw nothing wrong. His dark jeans were dressier than his usual ones, yet were casual enough that he wouldn't be overdressed. He had on a lightweight green long-sleeved top, covered by an equally lightweight black jacket. It was perhaps an outfit more suited to an indoor event this late in the fall, but he had been out as Chat Noir earlier during an akuma attack and it had been surprisingly warm. "Yes?"

"Adrien, we need to leave right away!"

"Coming!" Adrien called again, scooping up Plagg and sticking him inside of his jacket. Just like always, Plagg appeared to have no volume whatsoever once he was out of sight. It was strange, but Adrien appreciated not having to explain why there was a strange lump in his jacket. He made sure that his jacket was hanging straight, and then he dashed out into the front hall to join Nathalie and the Gorilla.

Nathalie's eyebrows went up as soon as she took in his outfit. "Adrien, I think you'll want a proper coat. It's November."

Adrien only shrugged and continued clattering down the remaining stairs. "It's not bad outside at all. I'll be fine. You said we had to get going?"

"I think you should have a coat."

Adrien couldn't help raising an eyebrow. How cold did Nathalie think it was? Sure, it was November, but it was _early_ November and was unseasonably warm on top of that. It wasn't swimming weather, maybe, but it also wasn't _that_ cold. "I'll be fine."

Nathalie looked unconvinced. "We can wait a few minutes if you want to go back and-"

"I don't have any coats that would go with this outfit. I would have to completely change if I wanted to wear a coat." Adrien slipped past her and pushed open the front door. Sure enough, it was _plenty_ warm outside. He wouldn't want to be wearing just his green shirt, that was for sure, but it was hardly _chilly_. In fact, the layers he _did_ have on made it downright pleasant outside. The Gorilla was already in the car, so Adrien didn't waste any time in hurrying over to get in the back. One glance at the car clock told him that yes, they _were_ running quite late. If he wanted to get to the runway before Marinette so his friend wouldn't be stuck wandering around looking for him, they needed to leave _right now_.

...of course, it was also possible that Marinette was running late. It wasn't exactly uncommon.

"You're going to wish that you had a coat," Nathalie said stiffly as she slid into the car next to him. She looked less than pleased.

Adrien only shrugged.

Only minutes later, they were pulling up alongside the curb near the Eiffel Tower. Adrien and Nathalie hopped out while the Gorilla went to go park the car. With the ease and speed of a no-nonsense woman with _very_ good connections, Nathalie steered herself and Adrien through the crowd to the reserved area for special guests (aka family of presenters plus some fashion designers from other countries). There, they had a great front-row view to the makeshift runway under the Eiffel Tower.

"It's packed," Nathalie observed, glancing around the area. "Not that anyone expected anything less, of course."

Adrien made a somewhat absent noise, not really paying attention as he scanned the crowds for Marinette. He had given her a ticket to get in, of course, but it would be _much_ easier for her to find her spot with them already there. A quick check of his phone revealed no messages, which probably meant that Marinette was on her way. Just to be sure, Adrien sent a quick text.

 _A: Hey, how close are you to arriving?_

Message sent, Adrien went back to scanning the crowd. Everyone was dressed up, of course, even though outdoor runways were often thought to be less formal than their indoor counterparts. The stands themselves were huge, and it made Adrien's head spin to think about how much work it must have taken to get everything put together so fast. He wasn't entirely positive why his father had decided that joining an outdoor runway was needed, but perhaps the marketing team had decided that it would drum up more interest than an intense ad campaign.

Adrien glanced down as his phone vibrated. Marinette had replied.

 _M: On the way! I had to help pack up a rush order before I left. Should arrive with about, oh, a minute to spare._

He couldn't help but laugh at that. That sounded very _Marinette_.

As the crowd continued to grow, a sharp, cold wind blew across the plaza. Adrien automatically shivered, then caught sight of the look on Nathalie's face. She had definitely caught his shiver, and now it looked like she was very tempted to go _I told you so_.

And Adrien, filled with the stubbornness of a teenage boy who didn't want to admit that he was wrong to an adult in charge, couldn't have that.

So he stubbornly refused to look cold. He straightened up, tossed his hair off of his face, dropped his arms to his sides, and kept glancing around at the growing crowd. The next time another gust of wind raced across the plaza, he didn't let himself shiver.

It was really a shame that they were in the front row by the runway. If they were back in the crowd, there would at least be other people to block part of the wind and the proximity to other people would _probably_ mean sharing at least a little body heat. But here, in the special guests section, the seats were set up so that the spectators there would have a bit more elbow room.

On a normal day, Adrien would appreciate having a bit more of a personal bubble. Now, as the sky slowly grew more overcast and the temperature started dropping ever-so-slightly, Adrien longed to be part of the normal crowd.

Yeah, so maybe he should have taken Nathalie's advice, but it _had_ been perfectly warm outside earlier.

Adrien's phone buzzed down in his hand, and he glanced down to see a new message from Marinette.

 _M: So where is the section you're in?_

 _A: Right down next to the runway! If you came in the main entrance, you're on the right side._

 _M: Be right there!_

Adrien popped back up to his feet, twisting around to scan the crowd. Most people were sitting down now- Marinette was _really_ cutting it close- but there were still quite a few people milling around, visiting or searching for their seats. He could spot the Gorilla coming through the crowd easily enough, but he didn't see Marinette at all.

That probably shouldn't have surprised him at all. After all, Marinette _was_ a bit on the short side. He forgot that surprisingly often, probably because her personality seemed to add a few inches.

...rather like another black-haired, blue-eyed, pigtailed girl he knew.

The Gorilla finally got through the crowd and stepped down into the Special Guests section, and it was only then that Adrien spotted the smaller figure following behind him. Marinette stepped out, her oversized coat swirling around her.

She looked _amazing_. Adrien wouldn't have thought that an oversized coat paired with her small figure would do anything but swallow her, but Marinette being Marinette- and therefore _insanely_ talented- had managed to pull it off.

"I'm glad you could make it, Marinette!" Adrien exclaimed as he bounded over to greet her. He had initially wanted to invite Nino and Alya as well, but Nathalie had informed him that it would be hard to wrangle up that many more tickets and then Nino had reminded him that he and Alya _really_ weren't that interested in fashion anyway. He wasn't _too_ let down- hanging out with Marinette without their other friends was still a lot of fun. "You look great!"

Marinette grinned at the praise. "Thanks! You-" She paused, taking in his jacket and the slight hunch of his shoulders against the dropping temperatures. A small frown flitted across her features, and then vanished. "-you look great as well."

 _Huh._ It hadn't taken her long at all to pick up to the fact that he was perhaps a little underdressed for the weather. Then again, it hadn't exactly taken Nathalie long either.

 _Please don't ask if I'm cold_ , Adrien mentally pleaded. Normally, he wouldn't mind his friend's curious, well-meaning questions, but he didn't want to have to outright lie to his friend just to save face in front of Nathalie. _Just leave it, please_.

Other than the raised eyebrows, Marinette had no further reaction.

"Our seats are over here," Adrien said, guiding Marinette to the seats between Nathalie and the Gorilla. "Best view in the whole place."

"Oh you aren't kidding," Marinette said appreciatively, scanning the runway. "Oh, this is _crazy._ I never thought I would be able to sit so close to a runway in a big show like this." She scanned the runway. "Do you know why they decided to do it outside? I would have thought that there would be too many variables with the weather, especially this late in the year."

"I'm guessing that there's some element of wanting people to see how they would look in typical fall/winter weather," Adrien said, shrugging. He didn't really understand it either, because then the models' carefully constructed looks and styled hair could get destroyed by the wind, or the whole thing could get delayed or outright cancelled if the weather was _really_ bad. On the other hand, an indoor runway didn't generate the same level of _in-your-face_ ness. Outdoors definitely generated more attention, from the public and press alike.

Of course, indoors would have meant not having to deal with the increasingly chilly gusts of wind sweeping through Paris. Adrien was having a harder and harder time _not_ shivering. His shoulders were inching up a little at a time, and soon there would be no _way_ that Nathalie wouldn't notice and say something.

Much to Adrien's surprise, Marinette was shivering next to him.

"I shouldn't have worn this particular coat," Marinette said a bit ruefully when she caught his eye. She twirled around, sending the fabric flaring out around her body so Adrien could see just how big it actually was. "I heard about oversized coats being in style and it inspired me, and then I thought it would be cool to wear it here."

"It looks nice and warm," Adrien commented, puzzled. He didn't know a _ton_ about fabrics, really, but whatever Marinette had used certainly looked like it should both block the wind and keep her warm. He certainly had been jealous of her wearing it. Did she just get cold really easily, or was the fabric not as warm as it looked?

"It's _big_ , and all that extra space means that the cold air gets in," Marinette said, letting out a huff. "It's pretty and all, and like Alya said when she saw it, it's great for cuddling in, but when it's _actually_ a bit chilly outside? It's more showy than functional."

 _Cuddling?_ That sounded nice. Adrien absently wondered if he could somehow subtly hint that he would be willing to fill up the extra space in the coat without either a) having Nathalie notice or b) being creepy.

"I mean, it's so big that my _father_ could practic- no, I take that back," Marinette corrected with a giggle. "My father probably couldn't fit, but Alya and I probably both could. Or-" Her look turned considering as her eyes fell on him. Seconds later, she was shrugging off the oversized jacket and tugging it around his shoulders, guiding his arms into the loose sleeves. Adrien had a moment to see her pleased expression before she slid into the jacket as well and zipped it up around them both.

" _Much_ better," Marinette decided with a pleased sigh. She twisted to look up at him. "Is this okay, Adrien?"

"Of course," Adrien assured her, now pleasantly warm. Then he paused. "Uh, how are we going to sit like this?"

* * *

Three minutes later, Adrien and Marinette had, with a whole lot of fumbling and even more blushing, arranged themselves in a seat. Marinette had ended up in Adrien's lap, since that was the only way that they could sit down without stretching the coat. It wasn't a bad setup at all- Adrien was toasty warm, he could see right over Marinette's head, and Nathalie looked a bit put out that Adrien had somehow skirted the consequences of not bringing a coat.

He liked Nathalie and all, considering how often she stood up for him, but he was just immature enough to gloat about being able to sidestep a _I-told-you-so_ lecture.

The Gorilla had watched the two of them arranging themselves in the chair, and while he raised an eyebrow, he hadn't said anything.

"You _do_ realize that there will be paparazzi here, right?" Nathalie asked stiffly as Adrien and Marinette settled down for the show. "You may very well end up on the front of some tabloid. Your father would _not_ be pleased."

Marinette looked suddenly worried, but Adrien just squeezed her hand. He wasn't worried about it, so there was no need for Marinette to spoil her time at the show worrying. "There's actual celebrities here for them to bother. If they want to spend their time on two collège kids sharing a coat, that's just sad."

Nathalie sighed, though Adrien could tell that she was faking it. She had her tells for when she was acting and not actually concerned, and right now she was just putting on a show. She was just trying to persuade him to get out of Marinette's coat of his own accord and actually suffer the consequences of not listening to her advice without being obvious about it. If she was actually worried about reporters, she would be glancing around and glaring at any reporters daring to look their way, and she would have ordered the Gorilla to strategically position himself between Adrien and the reporters. "Still, I don't think-"

"Thank you all for coming!" The announcer's voice boomed over the speakers, cutting Nathalie off before she could finish. Her expression turned a bit sour, but she dropped back into her seat without pushing further. "We have ten presenters today for you lovely folks, so without further ado, let's get started!"

"What's the order?" Marinette asked as the first designer to present stepped out and started introducing her collection. She twisted to try to glance back up at Adrien, but ended up with her face caught in her jacket. Adrien had to laugh as she struggled to free herself. A moment later, Marinette gave up with a huff and Adrien finally stopped laughing to pull back the fabric far enough for her to get her face out.

"Lesser-known designers are going first, I think," Adrien said, then corrected himself before Marinette could whip around to give him another _Look_. " _Well_. Okay, they're obviously starting off with a bigger name, just to make sure people arrive on time, but then it's smaller names for a bit, gradually building up to, well, my father."

Marinette giggled at that. "Nice catch there. Here I was thinking for a second there that you actually thought that _Rosé_ was a small name in fashion. I was ready to really judge."

"And I wouldn't blame you for that." Adrien was pretty certain that even people _not_ in the fashion world would recognize the brand. If he, the son of Gabriel Agreste, _didn't_ recognize Rosé, then... well, he would have had to have been buried under a rock to miss that.

The show itself went by in a blur. Marinette watched with rapt attention, sometimes taking a picture on her phone of the models. Adrien tried to keep an interested look on his face, just in case there _were_ any reporters watching the two of them. Never mind the coat-sharing, the reporters would probably _love_ to get a photo of him looking less than interested in his own father's collection.

"Well, that went well," Nathalie commented as the event coordinator thanked everyone for coming and the people around them started to pack up. She pushed a wisp of hair out of her face as the wind, which had only picked up as the show went on, blew her hair out of its carefully constructed bun. "Let's wait for a few minutes to let the crowds clear out."

"Sounds good," Adrien agreed, not in any particular hurry to go anywhere. Marinette's coat was nice and warm, and getting up to slowly work their way to the car would mean having to get out of the coat so that they could walk. If they waited until they had a clearer path, he would spend less time out of the coat before getting in the nice, heated car. "How are you doing, Marinette?"

"That was fabulous!" Marinette exclaimed, almost bouncing on his lap. "I loved actually getting to see a runway show in person. That was just a dream come true for me."

Adrien grinned. He had known that Marinette would enjoy being there, but that hadn't _exactly_ been what he had been asking. "Great, but I was wondering if you were comfortable. I don't think my lap is the _best_ seat in the world."

Immediately Marinette was squirming around to try to see him. "Oh! I'm sorry! I'm squishing you, aren't I? Should we get up-?"

"I'm _fine_ ," Adrien reassured her. It wasn't a lie- Marinette was rather light, and she was just the right size to fit in his lap without cutting off the blood flow and making his legs fall asleep. "I'm just saying that my legs are a bit on the bony side, so if you were uncomfortable..."

"I think the crowd is clearing out well," Nathalie announced, standing up and cutting Adrien off. She glanced at the Gorilla. "Do you think you could bring the car around?"

The Gorilla grunted, nodded, and waded off into the crowd. Minutes later, Nathalie's phone chimed and she gestured for Adrien and Marinette to stand up. Adrien reluctantly untangled himself from Marinette and her coat. It was harder not to shiver now, after being so warm for the entire show, but he was still determined not to give Nathalie the satisfaction of being right.

"I'll walk with you guys to your car," Marinette volunteered, wrapping one arm around Adrien's arm as they started forward. Adrien couldn't help but grin. She had _somehow_ managed to stand in just the right spot to block most of the wind, and he seriously doubted that it was an accident.

"I'd offer a ride, but I think we're going to some snobby after party thing," Adrien said with a sigh. He had tried to get an invitation extended to Marinette, since he was sure that it would be more fun with her there, but it was strictly designers and serious buyers, plus their families. That Nathalie and the Gorilla were also being allowed in was considered enough of a stretch.

Thankfully the after-party would be indoors. Adrien would have been _miserable_ being outside for long without Marinette and her fabulous coat.

Marinette shrugged off his concern. "It's fine. One of my favorite fabric stores is on my way back, and I wanted to pick up a couple small things for a dress that I'm making."

"Ooh, is that the dress I saw on your dress form last time I was over at your place?" Marinette really had an eye for prints, he could tell already. Even if she hadn't made a ton of pieces with prints so far, what she _had_ made was gorgeous. "I can't wait to see it when it's all finished."

Marinette grinned and bounced a little on her toes as they wove through what was left of the crowd. "Yeah! It's almost done. Hopefully I'll have it ready to wear to school by Monday or Tuesday, but I _do_ need to catch up on my homework." Her grin turned a bit sheepish. "I _may_ have been avoiding the Physics homework just a bit."

Adrien laughed.

All too soon, they were approaching the car. Adrien was sorely tempted to slow his steps down, but his father would _definitely_ notice if he was late to the after party and Nathalie would almost definitely mention what it was that had held them up.

"Thanks for sharing your coat earlier," Adrien said, dropping his voice so Nathalie couldn't overhear. He plucked at his light jacket sleeve. "I... didn't _quite_ come prepared."

Marinette giggled at that. "Well, you gave me your umbrella once to protect me from the rain, so it's only fair that I return the favor and share my coat with you." She beamed up at him, even as she released him and stepped back so he could get in the car. "Besides, the coat _was_ a little too big to keep me warm properly with only me inside. Sharing was good for me as well."

"Still, thank you," Adrien said, unable to resist darting back out of the car for one more hug, because he had learned pretty quickly that Marinette's hugs were the _best_ hugs. "And I'll probably be busy for a couple hours, but if you have any trouble with the Physics, feel free to call me up later and I can try to help."

"Will do!" Marinette said cheerfully, and then she waved and skipped off, vanishing into the crowd within seconds. Adrien watched her go, unable to help the smile teasing around the corners of his mouth.

 _God_ , he had never hoped more that his recently-formed suspicions about Marinette being Ladybug were right, because with every passing day, every time he spent more time with her, every time she was her normal amazing, kind, brave self...

Adrien could feel himself falling for her more and more every day.

* * *

 _A/N: As with most of my stories, this is a one-shot and is therefore complete. Please review, it really makes my day! :)  
_


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